Granted, some of it is my own fault. Well, that and the fault of my over-active writer’s imagination and the fact that I pay attention to the local news.

I rode up to our local grocery store with the hubs and we had a bit of a disagreement on the drive in, and I decided that I would just wait in the truck (Mistake #1). The weather is nice today, so I left the passenger side (power) window down halfway and didn’t think to tell him to leave the keys with me (Mistake #2).

The hubs went into the store (I could see the checkout lines from where I sat, as we were parked right up close to the front windows). I left my phone at home on the charger, which I don’t ordinarily do, (Mistake #3) and pulled my iPod out of my handbag and commenced to getting my butt kicked in multiple solitaire games.

I heard the car before I actually saw the car. The music (?) was so loud one couldn’t help but notice. I looked up to see where it was coming from and saw the Chevy back into a parking place directly across from where I was sitting. Two individuals emerged from the back seat, looking like something straight out of that show, Gangland, and walked into the store. There were two individuals still seated in the front of the car.

I went back to what I was doing and then saw something out in my peripheral vision, so I glanced up and saw that the driver had gotten out of the car and was heading toward our truck. Where I was sitting. With the window half down (see Mistake #2). I saw him, he saw me, and he walked around a huge puddle (whew) and walked a few parking spots down and got into the back seat of another car. I probably should have gone back to what I was doing, and I did, but only after I saw what I’m fairly certain was an illegal exchange of something for money (Mistake #4). Did he see me see him? I didn’t know. Apparently not, since I’m writing this, safe and sound, from my room.

He goes back to his car, and proceeds to get in and out of the vehicle several times. (This is seen out of the corner of my eye, because at this point, my eyes are glued to the front of the store, and I’m willing the hubs to hurry the hell up, get in line and get out.)

While I am really starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable, I’m taking a mental inventory of what I have at my disposal. Phone? Nope. Keys? Nope (Mistake #5). And I realize I don’t even have so much as a ballpoint pen at my disposal and think to myself, “OMG, what if I need to defend myself?”

Now, before I go on, please know this: I am a pacifist; a peace loving, hippie throwback that feels guilty about killing a bug. Would I just go out and pop a cap in someone’s ass? Of course not. That’s absurd, and if you know me, you know this to be true.

While I am sitting in the truck, with no way to close the window, realizing I have no way to protect myself, I am thinking about how not a day goes by when somebody is getting shot in this part of the state. There is a shooting-related story or more EVERY SINGLE DAY! And then I was thinking about the couple living in that nice neighborhood down the road in Raleigh. They woke up with the two home invaders in their room, standing over their bed. The husband was shot in the back (and apparently paralyzed) from trying to save his wife from the sexual assault that was an added bonus that night.

Again, I realize some of this fear is coming from my very own imagination, but I also know that some of it is not. It is, in fact, coming from the reality of the screwed up world we live in, today. The world where those that don’t have feel entitled to forcibly take what they want from those that do.

The hubs makes it back to the truck with the groceries, and I jump out and start tossing the goods into the back seat.

We get on the road and head to the house, and I told him what went down. He wasn’t terribly concerned. I told him I had actually been SCARED. He didn’t say much.

Then I told him that I was not going to be in that position again. First and foremost, I would keep the keys, next time. Second of all, I have been mulling the idea of getting a small handgun and concealed carry permit for the last six or seven months, and felt that if I hadn’t hemmed and hawed over it, I wouldn’t have HAD to have been as helpless as I was. Would I still be frightened? Well, sure, but not desperately so, if that makes any sense.

I know that for someone like me, it’s a craptastic world when I can’t people watch for fear that I might see something I’m not supposed to see. I write, I blog, I make observations. If I can’t DO that because I’m afraid because I saw something I had no business seeing in the middle of a public parking lot in broad daylight, because you are the thug that rolled into the parking lot with your 808 maxed out? Bite me. You called attention to yourself, but I’m not going to walk around MY town scared to death with absolutely no means of protection.

A friend tells me that the waiting list for a concealed carry permit is 90+ days. Fine. I’ve waited this long. And as the old saying goes? Better Nate than lever. Oh wait…that was the punch line to an old joke. But you get the picture.

I know how to shoot. Used to go out and spend entire afternoons target shooting for fun back in the day. I have a very healthy respect for firearms. Then I had kids. Having a firearm in the house with three boys just didn’t seem to be a really smart idea, knowing my boys, so I played it safe and didn’t go there. The boys are grown and two out of three of them have moved out, and the third will be going off to college in the fall.

In the meantime, I’m going to do some research, bone up on the laws, and hope that the 2nd Amendment sits as written.

While I know this post will not be popular with some of my friends and readers, I also felt the need to exercise my freedom of speech. 🙂

Until Next Time…

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About Julie the Workaholic

Mom of three (grown) sons and one (grown) step-daughter, wife of one, friend of many, and owned by seven 4-legged critters, writer, photographer, friend, huge fan of life, and most of all, lover of all things beautiful .….Getting healthy, and hoping to make a dent in the world in a most positive way! (And then there's my alter-ego, the Workaholic, who is me, just unfiltered.)

12 Responses to Ever Been Scared in a Parking Lot?

Girl, I had NO idea…I mean, we are talking 1/2 mile from the Roo where we stopped to get water and snacks for the fashion show. It’s not like we were in the center of town. I’m more comfortable on Center Street by myself. Just sayin’…

Oh my gosh…and if you ever get a chance to read this book, by all means read it. It’s old, but it was a life changer/SAVER for me: The Gift of Fear. It’s NOT about living fearfully, but confidently, and SMARTLY being able to accurately ASSESS danger and think QUICK on your feet. Would love to do coffee w/you one day shutterbug friend!

Girl…I TOTALLY Love this! And agree w/every word. I too am a nearly vegetarian, tofu-chomping, hippy, artsy-fartsy kinda gal, but you know what…I’ve looked danger straight in the face and there are TIMES in life, you want to be able to protect yourself. Why should that be ILLEGAL? YES! EVERYDAY there is a LOCAL newstory about someone who is injured or killed bc they are a victim of crime! I like one especially controversial politician’s take on gun control: YOUR FINGER is gun control. You CHOOSE to shoot or not. Right now the real issues are being ignored: mental health, being able to protect oneself, and biggest of all: YOU CAN’T LEGISLATE AWAY EVIL. It’s noble to try, but futile! So sorry you had such a scare Julie and thankful you are safe!!

It’s currently Monday morning and I would imagine I could pop right over to WRAL’s site and find at least one story from this weekend.

I am fortunate enough to have knowledgeable friends to point me in the right direction of what kind of protection that would be best suited for me in a CC capacity.

I absolutely agree that the mental health system in this country needs to be addressed and fixed, ASAP, but apparently all focus is on trying to amend the Second Amendment. *face palm* C’mon, government! Wake the hell up, get your collective head out of your collective ass, and address the REAL issue!

The most suckworthy part of this is that in the old days, owning a gun was because I enjoyed the sport.

If and when our justice system gets straightened out down here, then perhaps the criminals with violent priors that are walking around on the streets due to loop holes or probation will be behind bars where they belong. Then maybe this won’t be an issue, but until then, I don’t think a little canister of pepper spray is going to be much of a deterrent. 😦

Yep, me too. I have changed my mind about owning a gun. I have to get up and be at work everyday at 4:00 am. It is still dark out. When I moved back to California 6 months ago, I moved into an apartment. First time since I was 20 years old that I lived in an apartment and not a house. Anyway, every morning I have to walk through this lot to get to where my vehicle is allowed to park. Scares me daily. I would feel better with a gun, or pepper spray, or something. Our lease was short, and expires next month, so we are looking for a better place to live. This is the world we now live in. I don’t want to be a victim.

Up until last night, I had been pretty casual about getting a different handgun (I have a .25 semi-automatic that is only going to piss someone off, that is, IF I even hit the target). I don’t want to be a victim that just goes down without a fight. I want a chance to get away, buy a few seconds, or SOMETHING.

I’ve sworn I’ll never have a gun in my house. However, recently I’ve started changing my stance as well. My husband and I are discussing it and I know in the next year or two we’ll be gun owners. Smart gun owners, of course, but gun owners none-the-less.

I totally agree. I remember back in the good old days when a gun was just a recreational thing you used to knock cans off posts, or to see who could get the closest to the bull’s eye. These days? Not so much. So much crap going on crime-wise, that even in our little neighborhood (which is more rural than anything) to have had to see this garbage going down in a parking lot within two miles from my house? Noooo, thank you.